Macaroni-drier.



M. SICIGNANO. mAcARoNI DRIER. APPLICATION FILED FEBIO. I9l5.

1,174,627. Patented Mar. 7,1916.

Br I I Zanon/VHS MATTEO SICIGN, OF NEYYO-L Specification of Letters Patent.

MCARONI-DRIEE.

Patented Mar. 1916.

Application led February 10, 1915. Serial No. 7,260.

To all whom it may concern: n

Be it known that I, MATTEO SIGIGNANO, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Macaroni- Driers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rThis invention relates to drying apparatus, and with respect to its more specific features, to apparatus of the character referred to adapted to dry certain forms of dough, such as macaroni, etc.

Une of the objects of the invention is the pwvision of a practical apparatus for drying macaroni and similar substances rapidly .andr without permitting the material to become sour.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an efficient drier by means of which the macaroni may be brought into a proper relatively dry condition expeditiously and without handling. l

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

rlhe invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exempliied in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. l

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein similar reference characters yrefer to similar parts throughout the several views, Figure' 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and Fig. 3 is a detail in section.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the encompassing wall of a chamber in which the macaroni may be exposed so that the moisture in the macaroni may be absorbed by the fluid contents or air in said chamber. As a convenient means of supporting the macaroni said chamber is provided with racks 2 extending longitudinally and transversely therein, and occupying practically the full width and height of the chamber, two of the adjacent racks being suitably spaced, if desired,'to form a convenient passageway for the person manipulating the apparatus, the chamber being provided with a door 3 communicating with said passageway. A suitable portion of one end of the drying chamber is free from macaroni supports, and the fluid current producing means and other accessories are located thereat. The wall of the chamber may be provided with a window or light 4 for the purpose of illuminating the interior of the chamber.

rlhe numeral 5 indicates a frame or braced standard rising from the floor of the chamber and supporting a substantial metallic bearing block 6 at its upper part.

7 represents a hollow metallic shaft journaled to rotate in the bearing 6, one end of this shaft having keyed thereto ay member or hub 8. Radially extending from the hub 8v are a series of arms 9 which may be screw threaded into the hub and locked by nuts 10. Supported by and extending from the arms 9, at a predetermined portion of the chamber intermediate the inclosing walls thereof, preferably the` lateral portion, are vanes 11 dlsposed at such an angle that when the hollow shaft 7 is rotated a current of the fluid medium in the chamber will be forced toward the racks 2 at thelateral portions of said chamber, and in this manner a current of air may be established past the macaroni ysupported at such portions of the drying chamber. The inner ends 12 of the vanes 11 are spaced from the rotatable member or hub 8 so that the direct influence of the vanes 11 on the Huid medium is practically conned to ,the lateral portions of the chamber and to the lateral portions of the bulk of material supported therein. Passing through the hollow shaftv 7 and rotatably mounted therein is a spindle 13 to which is. keyed a second hollow member or hub 14 having short arms 15 radially arranged, and supporting a second set of vanes 16 also angularly arranged so as to project the fluid medium or air toward the material supported on the racks 2 when the spindle 13 is rotated. The vanes 16 are disposed opposite the space between the inner ends 12 ofthe vanes 11 and the rotatable member 8, the outer ends 17 of the vanes 16 being preferably directly opposite the inner ends 12 of 'the vanes 11. By this construction the vanes 16 operate to directly project the air in a. uid current confined more especially to the intermediate portion of the drying chamber and the intermediate portion of the bulk of material supported therein. The shaft 7 and the spindle 13 are respectively provided with belt pulleys 18 and 19 vkeyed thereto and adapted to be driven from pulleys 20 and 21 on the shaft of a suitable motor, an electric motor 22 being disclosed, and suitable belts 23 and 24 are employed to transmit rotation from the motor pulleys to the pulleys 18 and 19.

The set of vanes 11 provide a large rotary fan' and the set of vanes 16 a smaller rotary fan, the path of rotation of one set being greater in diameter than that of the other set, and these fans are adapted to be driven either simultaneously or independently by the motor 22, the smaller fan being operatively connected by the smaller belt pulley 19 to rotate at a greater speed than the large fan. The pulleys 18 and 19 are of suflicient width to permit the belt to be shiftedlaterally on either by means of the belt shifting forks 25 and 26 coupled to operating hand levers 27 and 28 respectively, and a loose pulley 29 is suitably located to be engaged by the belts 23 and 24 when shifted from the pulleys 20 and 21 respectively. By this construction the sets of vanes may be rotated simultaneously, or one set may be cut ofi while the other is permitted to continue rotation. A suitable electric circuit provided with a hand operated switch 30 may be employed to energize and denergize the motor 22 when desired.

The numeral 31 indicates a discharge opening in the Wall of the chamber 1 and through this opening the fiuid contents of the chamber is adapted to be discharged when desired, by means of a small rotary fan 32 suitably supported adjacent the opening 31, and coupled by pulleys 33 and 34 and belt 35 to the spindle 13, the pulley 34 being keyed to an extension of said spindle. The fan 32 preferably operates in a conduit or passageway 36 leading from the lower portion of the drying chamber, and entry of the fiuid contents of the drying chamber to the conduit 36 may be controlled by a hand operated valve 37.

When the atmospheric conditions are poor for drying purposes, such as Would result from a humid atmosphere or rainy con'- ditions, such a length of time maybe required to effect drying to the degree required that the macaroni will sour before becoming dry, under the ordinary conditions of drying heretofore practised. Even when the atmospheric conditions are more suitable, such as would be the case in dry weather, the establishment of artificial currents in the drier might have a tendency to deleteriously affect the macaroni unless these currents were under proper control, as macaroni is injuriously affected when too rapidly dried. Then again the macaroni in one portion of the drying chamber may become properly dried before another portion, and especially before that portion adjacent the central part of the chamber, and it is desirable to control the production of the artificial fluid currents or air currents so that all portions of the macaroni in the chamber will become dry at the same time or so that the artificial current may be more or less confined to one portion of the drier, the other portion of theA are then started and the air in the chamber will be agitated, air currents being .set up from the fans toward the macaroni, these air currents tending to relatively rapidly absorb moisture from the macaroni. If the lateral portions of the bulk of the material dry more rapidly than the intermediate portions, the operation of the larger fan may be cut off and the smaller fan be permitted to continue its rotation. If the atmospheric conditions are such that there is much moisture in the air initially, it, is desirable to supply as much fresh air as possible to the chamber, and hence the valve 37 may be opened so that the air which has absorbed moisture may be continuously discharged from the chamber and replaced by fresh air entering beneath the door or other openings. Should some of the macaroni attain a properly dried condition 'before another portion, the former portion may be removed and replaced by a fresh portion, and the operation of the fans may be controlled to dry the same, as before explained.

In order that the condition of the air in the drier may be such at all times as to kbe capable of absorbing moisture from the material to be dried, it is desirable to discharge such air when it has become so saturated with moisture as to be incapable of efficiently operating on the macaroni, and as the saturated air is heavier than the relatively dry air, it accumulates or occupies the lower portion of the drying chamber, and for this reason, among others, the entry opening of the conduit 36 is disposed at a relatively lower portion of the chamber so that the fan 32 will first draw the saturated fluid medium from the chamber.

A s many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made, without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

arrasar' 'It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention `herein described, and all statements of the scope. of

scribed, in combination, a chamber, means,

' adapted to support material in said chamber so as to be exposed to contact with fluid currents, and means disposed to produce fiuid currents past said material comprising a plurality of concentrically arranged rotary sets of vanes disposed to generate currents at di'erent portions of said chamber in the same direction relative to the material in the chamber.

2. In apparatusl of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means adapted to support material in-'said chamber so as to be exposed to contact with fiuid currents, and means disposed to produce fiuid currents past said material comprising a rotatable member, vane supports extend` ing from said member, vanes carried by said vane-supports intermediate the walls of said chamber, the inner ends of said vanes being spaced from said rotatable member, a second rotatable member, and vanes carried thereby intermediate the walls of said chamber, said last mentioned vanes being opposite the space between said rst mentioned vanes and said first mentioned rotatable member.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means adapted` to support material in said chamber so as to be exposed to contact with Huid currents, and means disposed to produce fluid currents past said material comprising a' rotatable member, vane supports extending from said member, vanes carried by said vane supports intermediate the walls of said chamber, the inner ends of said vanes being spaced from., said rotatable member, a second rotatable member, and vanes carried thereby intermediate the walls of said chamber, said last-mentioned vanes being opposite the space between said lirstmentioned vanes and said first mentioned rotatable member, a discharge opening 'leading from the lower portion of said chamber, and a fan adapted to cause a discharge of the fluid medium in said chamber through 'said opening.

4. Iii/apparatus of the character de-v scribed, in combination, a chamber, means adapted to support material in said chamber so as to be exposed to contact with Hui-d currents, and means disposed to produce fluid currents past said material comprising a rotatable member, vane supports radially extending from said member, vanes carried by said vane supports intermediate the walls of said chamber, the inner ends of said vanes being spaced from said rotatable member, a second rotatable member, and vanes carried thereby intermediate the walls of said chamber, said last mentioned vanes being opposite the space between said first mentioned vanes and said first mentioned rotatable member, a discharge opening leading from said chamber, a fan adapted to cause a discharge of the fluid medium in said chamber through said opening, and means adapted to operate said fan from one of said rotatable members.

5. 'In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means adapted to support material in said chamber so as to be exposed to contact with fluid currents, and means disposed to produce fluid currents past said material comprising a hollow rotatable shaft, radially disposed arms carried by said shaft, vanes at the outer ends of said arms disposed to drive the fluid medium in the chamber against the material relatively laterally supported therein, a spindle rotatably mounted in said shaft, radially arranged vanes carried by said spindle and extending to approximately the inner ends of said first mentioned vanes, to thereby drive the Huid medium against the relatively centrally supported material, a motor, and means adapted to communicate motion from said motor to said shaft and said spindle, respectively. 6. ln apparatus of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means adapted to support material in said chamber.

so as to be exposed to contact with duid currents, and means disposed to produce Huid currents past said material comprising a hollow rotatable shaft, radially disposed arms carried by said shaft, vanes at the outer ends of said arms disposed to drive the duid medium in the chamber toward the material relatively laterally supported therein, a spindle rotatably mounted in said shaft, radially arranged vanes carried by said spindle and extendingto approximately the inner ends of said first mentioned vanes, to thereby drive the fluid medium against the relatively centrally supported material, a motor, means adapted to communicate motion from said motor to said shaft and said spindle, respectively, a discharge opening leading from said chamber, a discharge fan vopposite said opening, and connections between said spindle and said fan to operate the latter.

7. ln apparatus of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means in said chamber adapted to support material in different parts thereof so as to expose saidmaterial to contact with fiuid currents, a rotary set of vanes disposed to roduce a current of fluid medium adjacent lateral portions of the bulk of material supported in said chamber, a second rotary set of vanes disposed to produce a current of fluid medium adjacent intermediate portions of the bulk ofsaid material, and means to independently rotate said sets of vanes.

8. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a chamber, means in said chamber adapted to support material in different parts thereof so as to expose said material to contact with fluid currents, a rotary set of vanes disposed to produce a current of fluid medium adjacent lateral portions of the bulk of material supported in said chamber, a second rotary set of vanes disposed to produce a current of fluid medium adjacent intermediate portions of the bulk of said material, the path of rotation of the outer ends of the first mentioned set of vanes being greater in diameter than that of the outer ends of said second mentioned set, and means to independently rotate said sets of vanes.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotary fan the ends of the vanes of which have a path of fan opposite said first fan the ends of the vanes of said second fan having a path of smaller diameter than the first mentioned MATTEO SICIGNANO.

Witnesses:

J. W. ANDERSON, MARGARET T. WALSH.

`relatively large diameter, a second rotary 

